Commentary: Vision for Damascus -- a developers' playground

In the upcoming election, please consider the vision Mr. Spinnett, Mr. Phegley, and Ask Damascus have for the City of Damascus. In their vision, we, the private property owners, not developers, pay for development with increased taxes, increased traffic and potholes, increased water runoff, pollution and abandonment of environmental sustainability. In the Spinnett, Phegley, Ask Damascus vision for Damascus, the citizens cannot require developers to pay -- or even help pay -- for the infrastructure development requires.

Unfortunately, this vision for Damascus is here. Due to their efforts, the cost of future development falls entirely on the shoulders of Damascus taxpayers, developers get a free ride. Mr. Spinnett, Mr. Phegley, and Ask Damascus worked to defeat a measure in an earlier election that would have allowed the City to ease taxpayer burdens through System Development Charges (SDCs). SDCs are not part of the Spinnett, Phegley, Ask Damascus vision for Damascus. As reported in the Oregonian on Nov. 4, 2008: "Measure 3-328 would have allowed the City to impose system development charges in order to build the streets, sewers, storm drains and other infrastructure. If approved, the measure would have allowed the City to charge new developments after developing a program that determines what each one should pay."

Mr. Spinnett (a developer himself), Mr. Phegley, and Ask Damascus convinced voters that this was a bad idea, the measure was defeated and with that defeat, the financial burden of development fell completely upon you and me. Do you really want to pay, out of your own pocket, for street, sewer, and water improvements leading up to Mr. Spinnett's housing development while he pays nothing? That certainly is Mr. Spinnett's vision for Damascus.

On one hand, Mr. Spinnett, Mr. Phegley, and Ask Damascus railed against taxpayer costs for the comprehensive plan; on the other hand, they worked to defeat a measure which would have eased that very same tax burden.

It is not clear that voters are aware of, or remember, the past vote and the role those individuals played in the defeat of SDCs. In the last election's Voters' Pamphlet, for example, a writer in favor of Measure 3-388 stated: "Many citizens are under the false impression that the cost for infrastructure will be paid completely by developers through system development charges." Wrong impression. Mr. Spinnett, Mr. Phegley and Ask Damascus took care of that and engineered the defeat of any developer payment for sewer, water, roads and stormwater improvements when development comes to Damascus.

If your vision for Damascus is for tax increases to pay for developer playground equipment, by all means vote the Spinnett, Phegley, Ask Damascus slate. If your vision of our future is for developers to pay their fair share and ease your tax burden, vote for those not aligned with the Spinnett, Phegley, Ask Damascus pro-developer group.